Controlling device for filtration plants.



W. J. PIKE. Y CONTROLLING DEVICE For. FILTRATION PLANTS. APPLIATION FILED SI}P T.29, 1913.

1', 1 1 1,857, J vmanned sept. 29, 1914.

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. W. J. PIKE. CONTROLLING DEVICE PoR PLTRATION PLANTS.

l APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1913.

1,1 1 1,857, Y Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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Y AQ/MM5 WALTER J.. PIKE, or GRAND RAPrnsgf M1cHioA1-i.-

ooNTnoLLINe DEVICE Eon Einnahmenl rnnnrs.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WALTER J. PIKE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing atA Grand Rapids, in the county of Kentand State of Michigan, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in.

Controlling Devices for Filtration Plants; and I ldo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact'description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertans to make and use the samel My invention relates to controlling devices for Huids, and more especially for controlling the flow l1in filtration plants, and the inventlon relates particularly to the mechanismA for controlling the electrical current for a magnetically controlled valve which valve lcontrols the flow of Water from the `-filter, and its object is to provide a device which is simple in construction, automatic,

eective and accurate in operation, and to provide the same Withvarious new and useful features hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the style of filtration plant for which this device is particularly adapted, the Water is filtered through a bed of sand and gravel Which is periodically WashedL or cleaned by lreversing the flow of Water therethrough.

When the filter is freshly cleaned the Water V has a tendency to pass through it quite rapidly if not restrained, and after the b ed has become partially clogged With impurities from the Water it Will pass less easily there through, and thus the discharge of Water varies, depending uponA the condition of the filter bed.

It has been- Afound by experiment thatethe best results can be obtainedfrom the filter by regulating the flow of Water therethrough so thatA it Will not exceed a certain maximum floW at any time. This has been accomplished by automatic means, comprising a restricted passage or o'ric'e in the drain pipe from the filter to the clear Water reser-v voir -or what is technicallyknown as the` clear Well, this orifice being preferably adjustable and adapted t0 permit the re-v quired amount of Water to pass therethrough in a given length of timeand under a certain' pressure,l and.. limiting the pressure above the ori'ce so that it will' not exceed such pressure. `With thefj object in view of automatically limiting this pressure .above the orifice, l provide a gate valve in the pipe.

Specicationof Letters Patent.

Patented-Slept. 229,191@

Application med september a9, 1913.- seriai no. 792,519.

l this valve being actuated by a piston, the hydraulic pressure on which is governed by? electro-magnets adapted to control-the pressure at the respective sides of a' piston operating to open or closeI the valve. 'Itis necessary to automatically shift tlie'electrical currents to respectively excite the said magnets and this current must lbe governed both in respect to the varying height lof the `w aterI level in the clear Well, and the varyin pressure abovel the orifice, and must a so be adapted to cause the valveto be completely closed when the'level in-the'clear Well has risen to a maximum. l

yproved device to accomplish theabovepurposes, the vpreferred construction and arrangement of which will appear by reference 'to the accompanying drawings'lin which? Figure i is an 'elevation representing a portion of a filtration plant provided with a controlling' device embodying my invention: Fig. 2 is a plan view partially in section of the electric "current controllin mechanism; Fig. 3 is an end elevation `of t e same; Fig. ,4 is ab sectionr on the line 4 4- of` Fig. 2c;

'7.o My present invention provides an 1m Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; v i

and Fig. 6 is a section on thel line 6.-'-6 of Fig. 2. 5x Like numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

l represents. the filter iinwhich is a sand and gravel filter bed 2, and a collecting passage 3, with which passage the eflluent pipey orpassage l communicates. "An adjustable orifice 5 in this passagerestricts the iiow therethrough and thcpassage thence opens into the clear Water reservoir, or clear well 6. A gate valve 7 is provided in the passage above the orifice 5 and this gate valve is operated' by a piston Sin the cylinder 8.'

The. pressure for, operating thisf piston is y controlled by amagneticallyhoperated valve of any convenient type. In the valve shown the saidvpressure, which is obtained from any convenient source,".is .admitted to the' central opening.v of an Js`cillatory valve 9. rlFhis central chamber is'provided with van outlet 50 adapted to 'alternately communi cate, as the valve is rocked ,in-either direction, with the ports 51 and. 52 which communicate respectively with.` opposite ends of the cylinder 8, thereby (directing the pressureto vopposite'sides of the piston 8n to 'open or-close the valve 7L .The valve 9 is also provided with exhaust chambers 53,

l of the valve 9 by which it may be oscillated and the magnets 10 and 11 are connected to opposite ends of said lever to `actuate the same. These magnets will be designated as r they both ma the orifice 'wil be constant in theopem'ng magnet 10 and closing magnet 11, as their respective functions, when excited, are to shift the valve to direct the pressure to open or close the valve 7.

It will be understood that the mechanism for opening and closing the valve- 7, above described, forms no part of this invention. My electric current controlling mechanism will operate in connection with any like a paratus which has magnets to control t e means for opening and closing of a valve and conducting Wires lead-ing to the magnet coils. My device relates to automatic control of the electric circuits by changes of Water levels in the apparatus. For this purpose two float chambers or stand pipes 12 and13 are provided, open at their upper ends. The chamber 12 is in direct. communication with the clear well through the pipe 14 and the water level therein is at all times the same as in the said well. The chamber c 13 communicates through'the pipe 15 with the passage 4 above the orifice 5, and the level inthis chamber isl always -equalvto the level in the clearwellplus an amount udue to the pressure or head, in lthe passage immediatel above the orifice. If a uniform pressure ove the o riice is maintained *the difference between the water levels^in the two chambers 12 and 13 will remain equal irrespective of the height to which rise, and the owthrough quantit and at the maximum, until the clear well lls to a level which' is lower than the maximum capacity of said Wella distance equal. to the difference in' levels in the Boat chambers,

and thereaftenthe pressure, the flow, and

difference in levels in said oat chambers gradually decrease to none of each, when the clear well is filled to the limit. Within `chambers 12 and 13 arethe res' ctive ioats 12a and 13, which rise and all Lith the changes of water level in each respective chamber. Cords 12b and 13" are attached to these oats at one end, thence extend upward and are .wound .about the respective drums 16 and 17, and to their other ends have attached the respective counter weights,

18` and 19. The drums 16 and 17 are each fixed on a shaft journaled in the frame 20,

v and the shafts provided with respective pin- .half of the circuit of the dis lcontact arm 31 an ions 21' and 22. The pinion 21, rotated by the drum 16, engages a gear to rotate the sleeve 26, journaled on the shaft 24, and the pinion 22 rotated by the drum 17 meshes with a gear 23 on a shaft 24 to rotate the shaft. An insulated drum is fixed on the shaft 24 and provided on its periphery with conducting contact segments 27 and 28, the segment 28 is comparatively short, and the segment 27 extends over the greater portion of the circumference of the drum, and these segments are spaced apart by insulating materiali On the shaft I24 is mounted an`inlsulated collecting ring 29 engaged by a brush 30, said brush being of any convenient form, the eculiar tvpe illustrated in Fig. 6 being usedp on this device.

The end of the shaft 24 projects through the sleeve 2 6 andcarries a contact arm 31, and on the end of the said sleeve 26 is fixed a disk 32 of non-conducting material provided with two equal contact segments 33 and 34, having their ends spaced apart and each of which extends throu hy nearly one- These contact segments are se aratel engaged by the are esignated as the opening segment 33 and the closing seg# ment 34. 0n the sleeve 26 are mounted two collecting rings 35 and 36 insulated from the sleeve anc engaged by brushes 35* and 36". The ring 36 is connected by the conductor 36" to the opening segment 33, and the ring 35 is connected to the closing segment 34 by the conductor 35".

The current for exciting the magnets 10 and 11 may be derived from'any convenient source, such as a battery 37 one of the poles of which is connected to each magnet coil by the conductor 38, and the other pole of the battery connected by the conductor 39 to a brush 40 mounted on an adjustable arm 41 and the brush alternately engages the segments 27 and 28 as the shaft 24 is rotated by a rise or fall of the oat 13. The segment 27 is electrically connected to the shaft 24 by the conductor 42 and through said shaft to the contact arm 31.

The coil for the magnet 11 is connected at one side to the battery by the conductor 38 and at the other side 1s connected by the conductor 43 to the brush 35l and thence through the collecting `ring 35 and conf ductor 35b to the closing segment 34. This conductor 43 also has a branch 43*l connected to the brush 30 on the collecting ring 29 and this ring is connected by the conductor 28l with the short segment 28, which is sometimes engaged by the brush 40.

The coil for the magnet 10 is connected at one side to the battery'by the conductor 38 and at the other-side is connected by the conductor 44 to the brush 36 and thence through the ringv 36 and conductor 36b to the opening segment 33.

. I ,I l The operation of this device is as follows :fThe restricted passage will cause the pressure between the same and the valve 7 ,tof be greater than that due to the level of thewater in the well 6. This will cause the water in the float chamber 13V to rise above said level, raisin the float which will rotate 'the shaft 24 .an parts attached. As'

. long as the arm 31 is on the "segment 33, the

opening circuit is closed `and the valve 7 will be opened by the excitation of the coil of the magnet which directs the pressure to the opening side of.. the piston in the cylinder 8. Y When the arm 31 moves into contact with the segment 34 the electric `current iS then shifted to the coil of tlie closingN magnet 11, which then directs the pressure to the opposite side-of the'piston in the cylinder 8 and closes the valve. yThere is thus a constant tendency to maintain such a level of water in the chamber 13 as will `keep the arm'3 1 intermediate thesegments l the leveln of,A the water in the chamber 12,

being always the same as in the said well. As the float l2 rises and falls it causes the sleeve carrying the disk 32 to be rotated in the same Idirection as the'arm 31, and thus as the water rises in the chamber 12 it per-A mits thecorrespondingl rise of water in the chamber 13 before the valve would 'be closed as described. If, however, the water in the chamber 13 rises to .the maximum, for which the mechanism is adjusted, the segment 2-7 @will becarried away 'from under` the brush '.40 and! the" segment 28 brought in contact therewith. Thiscuts off the circuitsthrough the arm 3 1, closes the circuit through .the `branch conductor 43a,- and thus excites the coil of the magnet 11 causingv the valve to close,-rega rdless of the position of the Asegment 34. There is -thus a limit to. the rise ofthe water in both of the said chambers whenever the maximum quantity of water is in the clear well 6, and it will also .be noted that when there is less than this quantity of water in the same that any change ofy difference in the. levels of the water in the chambers 12 and 13 will at once be 'readjusted, and lthus a constant differential pressure maintained between the valve 7 and the orifice 5 at all times,vthus limiting the flow to a certain predetermined amount until the .maximum level is reached in the chamber 13, whereupon the operation changes, as follows As lsoon as the fioat ,13 shifts the circuit to the' closing magnet coil, and the valve begins to close, itwill reduce the dierence between the valve opening and the opening of the orifice. This lreduces the pressure therebetween and consequently lowers the diderential of the levels in the chambers 12 and 13; this tends to produce a fall of level in the chamber 13, which results in a rise in the chamber 12. (Suppose this dierence to have been two feet withthe valve wide open and the maximum flow with the float 13a below the closing level). The result will be, that there will be" established a differential of less than ,two feet, depending on how rapidly the water is taken out of the clear well, and this differential and flow willsbe constantly and automatically ice-adjusted strictly in accord with the demandsmade on the clear well at all rates below the maximum How permitted from the filter to the same. rEhe slower the drain on the clear well the less will be the differential, and the slower the flow from the filter. L

I am thus able, under all the different conditions o-f the operation of the filtration tank, whether rapid or slow, and of the Yquantity of water in the clear well, whether great or small, to maintain a maximum limit to the .How from the filter to the clear well, and to automatically control the flow to the required amount when less than the maximum, the entire device being automatic in operation and requiring no further attention after being once properly adjusted.

I have described my device in connection.

with a filter plant, but obviously it may be used in various other relations, as for instance, to apportion the flow of a liquid to that of another liquid of variable flow.

What lf claim is 1 1. A controlling device, comprising a passageW having a restricted orifice, Ka valve at the pressure 'side of said orifice, means for opening and closing said Valve, separate velectric circuits to control the opening and closing means, an arm and a circuit closer simultaneously rotative, a ifioat to rotate the same and operating the closer when the ioat rises to. the limi-Lt, rotary segments in circuit with the respective controlling circuits and alternately engaged by the arm, and a separate Boat to rotate the segments.

2. A controlling device, comprising a passagehaving a restricted orifice, a'valve at the pressure side of said orifice, means 4for opening and closing said valve, separate electric circuits to control the opening and closing means, a float carried by fluid the level of which is4 determined by the pressure between the. valve and orifice and adapted to close the closing circuit when the said -level reaches the maximum, and a ioat carried by Huid the level of which is determined by the pressure below said orifice and adaptedto shift said circuits as the pressure changes.

3. A controlling device, comprising a passage having a restricted orifice, a valve in the assage above said orifice, means for openlng and closing said valve, electric circuits. for controlling said means, a rotary shaft carrying a rotary circuit closer adapted to shift the current from the arm to the closing circuit, a float to rotate said shaft carried on iuid raised and lowered'by the \pressure between the orifice andthe valve,

rotary segments in the respective opening' and closing circuits and alternately engaged by the rotary arm, and a fioat to rotate said segments carried on iiuid raised and lowered 1 5 by the pressure below said oriiice.'

4. A controlling device, comprising a passage having` a restricted orice, a valve in the passage above saidA orifice, `means for opening and closing said vaive, separate electric circuits for controlling said means, a rotary shaft, .an arm and a rotary circuit closer on said shaft and electricall connected, said closer adapted to shift t e circuit from the arm to the closing circuit, a

oat to rotate said shaft and shift the circuit When said fioat rises to a maximum, an insulated disk rotative on the shaft and carrying segments arranged in the respective circuits and alternately engaged by the arm to close said circuits, and a second ioat to rotate said disk, the difference in the levels` of said floats being determined by :the difference in rcssures at the respective sides of said ori ce.

5. In combination with a filtration plant having a restricted orifice between the lterA and the clear well, a valveat the pressure side of said orifice, electromagnets to control the opening andclosing of said valve, a ro- 40 tatable contact arm, a rotatable disk having segments adapted to be separately engaged by said arm, a source of electricity in communicationilvith the coils of said `magnets and with the said contact arm, electric conductors from the said segments to the respective magnets, and separate means actuated by the respective pressures above and below.the said orifice for independently r0- tating thecontact arm and the disk.

G. In combination with a filtration plant having a passage provided with a restricted.

orifice between the filter and the clear well,

a valve in the passage on the pressure side of the orifice, means for'opening and closing said valve and electromagnets to control said means: of an electrical current controlling mechanism, comprising a rotatable contact arm, a rotatable disk having segments adapted to `Vbe separately engaged by said arm, separate means for independently ro- `tating said disk and arm actuated by the respective pressures above and below the oriiice, a source of electrical current in constant communication with the coils of the magnets and also with the said contact arm when the water level in the clear well is below maximum, a closing segment rotating with the said arm and adapted to. close the closing circuit when the said water level reaches maximum, an electrical conductor communicatin with the coil of the closing magnet and wit the said closing segment and also communicating with one of the segments on the disk, and an electrical conductor communicating with the opening magnet and with the other segment on the disk.

7. In combination with a controllin device having a passage with a restrictei oritice and communicating with a`reserv0ir and a magneticallyr controlled valve in the passage on the pressure side of said orifice; an electric current controlling device, comprising a shaft, a contact arm anda drum on the shaft, a long se to the shaft an a short segment insulated from the shaft, a. disk rotative upon the shaft contiguous to thecontact arm, a closing and an openin segment on the diskseparately enga ed y said arm, means actuated by the varying height of water in the reservoir to rotate the disk, means actuated by the varying pressure at the pressure side of lthe orifice for independently rotating the said shaft, a source of electric current in constant communication with the coil of both the opening and closing magnets for controlling said valve, a brush adjustable about the axis of said shaft and adapted' to enga e the long segment thereon during the tlme when the water level in the reservoir is below maximum and to engage the said short segment on the shaft when lthe Water level reaches maximum, an electrical conductor communicating withV the brush andwith the source of current, an electrical conductor communicating .with the closing segment on the disk and with the coil of the closing 'magnet and an electrical conductor communicating with the opening segment on the disk and with the coil of the opening magnet.

8. In combination with a controlling device having a passage with a restricted oritice and communicating with a reservoir, a

-valve in the passage on the pressure side of the orifice, and magnets to control the openent electrically connected ing and closing of the valve.; of an electric current shifting device comprising a float chamber in direct communication with the reservoir, a ioat in said chamber, a float chamber in direct communication with the passage between the valve and the orifice, a

iioat 1n said chamber, two rotatable drums. a

a cord attached to each of said floats and wound about each respective drum, a contact 1 arm rotated by the drum actuated by the y' first named float, a disk rotated by the drum actuatedby the last named float, an opening and closing segment on the cisl( separatoiv engaged by the Contact arm, a source ol electric current in constant communication With the coils of both the opening and closing magnet, and electrical conductors communicating with the said segments on 'the disk and With the coils of the respective magnets.

9. In combination with a pressure controllin system having a passage with a restricte. orifice and opening into a reservoir, a valve in the passage at the pressure side of theorifice, and separate magnets to control the opening and closing of the valve; of an electric current controlling device comprising a float chamber in direct communication with the passage between the valve and orilice, a float in said chamber, a float chamber in communication with the reservoir, a {ioat in said chamber, two rotatable drums, a cord attached to each ioat and Wound about each respective drum, a shaft rotated by the movement of the rst named float, a contact arm extending radially from the shaft, a

' long segment mounted 0n the shaft and electrica-lly connected thereto, a short segment on the shaft and insulated therefrom, a

brush adjustable concentric with the shaft.

and engaging the long segment While the Water level in the irst'named chamber is below maximum, and engaging the short segment Whe-n the Water rises above maximum, a disk concentric with the shaft rotated by the .movement of the last named float, an opening segment and a closing segment on said disk separately engaged by said contact arm,v a source of electric current in constant communication with lthe coils of both the open ing and closing magnets, and With said brush, an electrical conductor communicat-- ing with the coil of the closing magnet, and with both the short segment on the shaft and the closingr segment on the disk, and an electrical conductor communicating with the coil of the opening magnet and with the opening segment on the disk.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo witnesses.

WALTER J. PIKE. Witnesses:

HAROLD O. VAN ANTWERP. MAE RANKIN. 

